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Five-year-olds are little people with very big personalities, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that picking out the best gifts for them can be a fraught process. While toddler tantrums are (thankfully) a thing of the past, you’re still only ever a bad present choice away from ruining your entire day. Personally, I can still clearly remember the things I DIDN’T get for Christmas (Mr Frosty, I’m looking at you) even more clearly than the ones that I did. So, it’s definitely worth doing your due diligence.
At five years old, kids are entering their highly opinionated Big Kid Era. “They usually have specific interests, maybe even characters, animals, or colours that they love and obsess over,” says Kelly Oriard, licensed family therapist, former school counsellor, and cofounder of Slumberkins. Now is about the time when they also fall in love with “games that they feel they can work at and master.”
They’re also rapidly expanding their cognitive and social skills. All of a sudden, they can write their names (maybe read a few simple sentences!), better understand the concept of time, distinguish fantasy from reality, tell longer stories, and even count to 100 or more. Some might also be starting to play organised sports, quickly improving their physicality.
To help you find the right toys to help your child stay entertained while also fostering new interests, we tapped real parents for help. Some standouts? Aqua Beads and Farm Yard Stamps to hone fine motor skills and boost creativity, scooters to burn all of that excess energy, and walking talkies and fancy dress costumes to inspire pretend play. Whether you’re sourcing presents for their birthday, Christmas, or just to say “I love you”, these are the best gifts for five-year-olds, according to parents who’ve been there, done that.